I'd like to echo what those others have written.

Here's a tip - get your tickets for next year's festival as early as you can. I can promise you it will be a sell-out, limited only by the size of the really big and comfortable campsite.

This was by any measure you care to name a terrific festival and a triumph of organisation. Had the weather been kinder people would have been in seventh heaven. The moment the sun shone and the wind dropped on Sunday, the fiddles came out and people sat around on the grass.

Despite the rain and showers especially Saturday - the ground stood up to the weather extremely well, and that in itself augurs well for the future.

I heard someone say at the bar - "nice to come to a festival and not feel you are being ripped off by the price of beer". (It was less expensive than normal pub prices south of Birmingham and city centre prices elsewhere.)

There lots of young people on the various concerts and ceilidhs - many with a background from the Newcastle course - but there seemed to be young people everywhere. For those who have lamented the loss of folk clubs elsewhere on Mudcat - here was at least part of the answer. They go to festivals.

It was evident that the local people were really impressed. Many of them paid a small entrance fee to have a look around and at the dancing and sword fighting etc and call in at a concert or dance that was taking place.

The cricket club - whose ground the festival was mainly held on - were really impressed, I know I talked at length to four or five, some of whom were kindly accommodating artists over the weekend, and they were (I think) pleasantly surprised by the lack of problems and especially by the way that people do drop their litter in bins provided.

Some other comments. I have already mentioned the campsite but let me stress this was comfortable - the right size and well laid out. Showers (albeit portable) were tremendous. The usual portable toilets were, well, the usual portable toilets but it was obvious that someone had been delegated to make sure they were kept in good condition.

So what about the turns then.......

Take a look back at he list of artists on the website. It goes without saying that the well-known names, will put on a splendid show.
Some of the newer acts showed maturity beyond there years and I was once again impressed by Damien O'Kane and Shona Kipling, lovely relaxed and accomplished performance; Ruth Notman who has an outstanding voice, as does Lisa Knapp; - I could go on. As someone who never managed to learn to play the recorder - some young people's dexterity on a variety of instruments always amazes me.

Local events - my wife went to the concert with Shepley Band, Bolsterstone and the local community choir. She told me the community choir was great and shows what can be done with talented leadership (fantastic Bryony!!) and the whole thing was packed. Clearly the locals loved it.

Clearly as a bookstall owner I spent a lot of time in the traders' tent (or if the truth be known - travelling the short distance between there and the bar)so I didn't see everything. However it is a great place to hear the gossip - and it did seem that the whole reactions were massively positive.

So well done to Mac and Nikki and the rest of the team.

See you again next year.

Dave Eyre